Gear selecting mechanism



Sept. 12 .1950 N. E. WAHLBERG 2,522,321

I GEAR SELECTING uEcHANisM Filed July 10, 1944 r a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. NILS ERIK wnmasn'a Filed July 10, 1944 Sept. 1950 N. E. WAHLBERG 2,522,321

' GEAR SELECTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. N/,L$ ERIK WAHLBERG Se t. 12, 1950 E, WAHLBERG 2,522,321

GEAR SELEC'PING MECHANISM Filed July 10', 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

NILS ERIK WAHLBERG Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,522,321 GEAR SELECTING MECHANISM Nils Erik Wahlberg, Chicago, 111., assignor to Nash-Kelvin'atorv Corporation, Kenosha, Wis.,

a corporation of Maryland Application July 10, 1944, Serial No. 544,243

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to'remote gear shifting mechanisms and more particularly to a novel arrangementof gear shifting levers on the side of the transmission and theirconnection to and cooperation with the hand. shifting shaft on the steering column.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gear shifting mechanism requiring no lubrication after time of final assembly.

It is a further object of this invention to pro vide a gear shifting mechanism which will funcand high selecting position, the purpose of this arrangement being top'revent inadvertentshifting;of the" transmission from low gear directly into reverse gear.

I: Otherobjects and advantages of this invention will be'apparent from a consideration of the following description, claims and the attached'drawings,v of which there are three sheets, and, in:

I Figure 1 representsa side elevation of an in- 1 ternal combustion automotive engine, transmission and steering column with the gear shifting mechanism associated therewith;

Figure 2 represents a side elevation partially in section of a steering column with a gear shift handle, shifting rod and the lower end of agear,

shifting linkage attached thereto;

Figure 3 represents a side elevational viewfof the transmission showing a novel arrangement ofshifting levers and various internal members of said transmission;

Figure 4represents a plan View of the shift,-

ing leverarrangement on the side of the trans-.

mission; and V ,Figure 5 is an internalview of the transmission showing the gear trains partially in section,

and, associated members. H

l lustrated in Figure 1 15 tive position to said engine is shownthe steering column I6 provided .witih the usual steering Wh l-43f Mq n e d stee in olum I 6 c aninternal combusv tion engine Ill provided withthe usual, clutch; housing I2 andtransmissioncase 14. In rela- 2 7 directly under wheel I8 is a gear shifting handle generally indicated at 29 which is connected to a single shifting shaft 22. A lever 24 (shown out of normal position for purposes of clarity) is mounted near the lower end of said shaft 22 directly above alimit mechanism 26 which is at tached to column I6; the lower portion of shaft 22 extends through said limit mechanism 26.

- shaft along its axis.

Link 30 connects lever 24 with the arrangement of shifting levers indicated generally at 36 and located on the side of transmission case I4. A flexible cable 28 is secured at one end to the lower,

end of shaft 22 and passes over a pulley 32 which is secured on column I6; the other end of cable 28 is connected to interlock lever 34 on the 'side' of transmission case I4.

The novel arrangement of the levers on the side of transmission case I4 will be explained more clearly and concisely in connection with Figures 3 and 4.

Illustrated in Figure 2 are various elements of I the inventionwhich are positioned at or near the steering column I-6. Near the top of 'said' column I6 is secured gear shifting handle, 20

which is shown in conjunction with this invention only for clarity and completeness, this structure being more completely illustrated and described in applicant's previously granted Letters Patent No. 2,286,773, Serial No. 344,689, issued June 16, 1942. Shifting shaft 22 is journaled in bearing I38 which is positioned Within sleeve I40. Sleeve I40 is loosely threaded into bracket I42 to permit rotation therein. Bracket I42 is secured to steering column I6. The shifting shaft 22 is bent at nearly right angles and reduced in diameter as at I44. The end I 46 is provided with" an annular groove I48 within which is positioned arubber grommet I50. The grommet I5!) is of such outside diameter as to fit within the portion I52 of shift handle 20 which is of constant'diameter. The handle 20 is installed on the shift ing shaft 22 by pressing the tubular portion I52; over the grommet I50 and then tipping the inner end I54 of the handle 20 downwardly over the upper end of shift shaft 22 and sleeve I 40. Conical pins are installed at I56 to pivotally mount handle 20 on sleeve I40.

Rotation of handle 26 will turn sleeve, hill in thebracket I42 and will also rotate shift shaft 22 about its axis due to the position of the bent over portion in the handle 20. When the end of handle 20 is raised or lowered, it will ipivot around the conical pins at I56 and the tubular section I52 will raise and lower grommet Ito and; the end of shift shaft 22 to reciprocate said shift The present invention embodies the use of a single shifting shaft 22 attach d at one end to the gear shifting handle near the lower or opposite end of said shaft 22 is positioned a limit mechanism for said shaft, indicated generally at 26 in Figure 1. This limit mechanism, as shown more clearly in Figure 2 comprises a bracket 33 secured to the steering column it and having an aperture through which the shifting shaft 22.

extends. Bracket 33 has a pocket 42 in which is retained a prelubricated bearing lli surrounding shifting shaft 22; an outwardly extending flange it of bracket 38 provides a seat for the downwardly extending annular flange 56 of re silient washer 52, said washer surrounding shaft 22. On shaft 22 directly above washer 52 is positioned a bracket 55 which is rigidly secured to shaft 22 by a screw 53 and locl; nut 53. Bracket 54 has an outwardly and downwardly extending flange to which abuts the top of washer 52.

Lever 24 is secured to shifting 'shaft 22 directly above and resting on bracket 5%; A semi-rigid connection is made between said lever 26 and shaft 22 which is comprised of akey 62 provided between lever E i and shaft 22 so lever 24 will rotate and move with shaft 22, but said key. seats in a slot in shaft '22 slightly wider than key 62, thus allowing the said key 52 and lever 2 a small amount of rotation, free of shaft 22, around the axis of rotation of said shaft. This constitutes a lost-motion connection between shaft 22 and lever 2 preventingthe transmission of vibrations and engine torque through'linkage 3i"; and lever 24 to shifting shaft 22. Lever 24 and linkage 3% are connected together by an ordinary ball and socket arrangement 65.

The arrangement such as described will provide a cushioning effect on the shifting shaft 22 as the operator drops the said shaft when he shifts from first or reverse gear to second or third gear, the said shaft indirectly falling on a rubber cushion as bracket is rigidly secured to the said shaft and falls on the resilient washer 52 as the shaft 22 is dropped in the shifting. Further, engine torque and vibrations transmitted through the shifting mechanism will be minimized by the lost-motion connection between the shaft 22 and the lever 26 which. is the connecting element between the said shaft and the linkage with the shiftable elements of the transmission.

At the lower extreme of shifting shaft 22 there is secured the flexible cable 23 which is the link between the said shaft and interlock lever (shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4). Cable 28 runs over pulley 32 rotatable on shaft 66 which may be secured directly to steering column it or indirectly by various means, one of which might bea bracket such as 68.

Located within transmission case M is a standard reverse and three speed forward selective gear transmission in which gear speed selection is accomplished by operating the synchronizer, indicated generally at I58 in Figure 5. or splined gear 60 from their neutral positions into en ,gagement with cooperating gears S53, E65, I61 or slidable on a hub ls i which is splined at Hit on shaft I16. Suitable blocker synchronizer mechanism I88 is provided to facilitate smooth and noiseless engagement of the sleeve I82 with the teeth I53.

A similar blocker synchronizer mechanism 195 is provided for facilitating meshing of the teeth of sleeve K82 with the clutch teeth m5 formed on second speed gear I92.

The gear E94 is the input element and is in constant engagement with gear E96, the latter being one of a cluster of gears rotatably carried on a countershaft 268. The cluster also includes a gear 93 which meshes with the second speed driven gear 5 92, and a low speed gear H51 which is adapted to be engaged by gear [88, which is slid ably splined as at 208 on driven shaft lit, and a gear 2E2 meshed with an idler gear N59 for pro" viding reverse drive, the gear 68 engaging idler gear [69.

Shifting of sleeve I82 to provide two forward speeds is made possible by a groove 88 in the outside surface of said sleeve in which projects a fork H3 attached to the inner end of and actuated by shaft l2 (Figure 4). Shifting of gear I60 to provide low forward speed and reverse speed is made possible by a similar mechanism (not shown) on the inner end of shaft in (Figure 4) positioned within groove 2% formed on the side of gear E66.

In Figure 4., shafts '18, i2 and it from the shiftable elements within transmission case It extend outside said transmission case and various levers are attached thereto. Shafts T0 and '12 extend from the gear shifting elements within and shaft M extends from a rocking interlock mechanism within said transmission case. Each of the shafts ill, 12 and M is threaded to receive a nut 62 over a washer 5% and lock washer I64 to rigidly secure shift levers i8, 88 and 34 to said shafts as is indicated generally at 76. Shift levers l8, til and 34 are secured, as described, to shafts TB, 12 and M respectively; said shift levers may be shaped from sheet metal and formed, as shown in Figure 4, to provide clearance between all moving parts of the invention.

In an aperture 84 through the outer end of shift lever 34 is secured a connection 86 with cable 28; said cable is attached at its other end to shifting shaft 22 (Figures 1 and 2). Around said connection 86 is hooked a tension spring 88 which has its opposite end hooked around an extension 90 of shaft 10. Spring 88 cooperates with movement of cable 28 in rotating shifting lever 34. As the operator raises the shifting handle 20 (Figures 1 and 2) to shift into either first or reverse gears, cable 28 will pull shift lever 34 and extend spring 88. As the operator lowers handle 20 to engage second or third gear, the spring 88 will pull lever 34 away from the direction of pull of the cable 28 as said cable will be relaxed by the dropping of rod 22 (Figures 1 and 2).

Shift levers 18 and 8B are connected by a dual linkage which may comprise a flat, metal stamping 9| and a U-shaped rod 92. Stamping 9i and lever 80 are connected at their ends by a bolt 94 extending through corresponding apertures in said stamping and lever. A compression spring 95 is interposed between stamping 9i and washer 98 which is held on bolt 94 by a pin I00 through an aperture in said bolt 94. Spring 96 provides a semi-flexible connection and holds stamping 9| and lever 80 together. In the other end of stamping through aperture 104 in the outer end of lever 18. The ends of U-shaped rod are secured the same and for the same purpose as bolt 94.

A portion of linkage 30 extends through an aperture in resilient-grommet I32 whichextends through'an aperture I06-in stamping 9|. Grom-lmet I32 has extending flanges I34 and I36 to secure it within'aperture I06. Grommet I32insulates the connection of stamping 9I'and linkage 30 to minimize the transmission of enginetorque and vibrations through said linkage. a I In Figure 3 the side elevational view of the elements of the invention described in conjunction with Figure 4 is shown with some cooperable elements within the transmission case I4 shown also. These elements within the transmission case I4 include ordinary speed-selecting poppet means I08 cooperable with shiftable elements I I0 and I I2. Element IIO rotates around the axis offshaft 12 as lever 80 is rotated there'around; element II2 rotates around the axis of shaft as lever 18 is rotated therearound. Pin H4 is carried by ;element'I I0 and pin II6 by'element II2. Interlock II8 rotates around the axis of shaft 14 aslever 34 is rotated therearound, said interlock having slots I20 and I22 which alternately engage pins H4 and H6, respectively. Interlock H8 is provided with straight surfaces 124 and I26 to abut pin II4 as it is rotated around the axis of shaft I2, thus keeping slot I22around pin II6. Pin II 6 slides along straight surfaces I28 and I30 as it is rotated around the axis of shaft I0, thus keeping pin II4 within slot I20 as the gears cooperable with element II2 are being shifted and engaged. Thus, only one of elements I I0 and I I2 may be rotated at one time as the rotating element indirectly, through its pin in engagement with one of the above describedsurfaces, holds the other element locked;

This interlock mechanism combined with the novel arrangement of shifting levers makes necessary the use of only a single linkage 30 between said levers'and the shifting mechanism on the steering column I I6 (Figures 1 and 2). The invention incorporates the use of the ordinary movements of shifting gears in an automobile where the operator raises and pushes up the handle 20 (Figures 1 and 2) to engage the reverse gear, raises and pulls to engage first gear, lowers and pushes to engage second gear, and lowers and pulls to engage third gear.

-As the operator raises handle 20 from neutral position, cable 28 is pulled, rotating lever 34, shaft I4 and'interlock H8 in a counter-clockwise direction around the axis of shaft 14 and forcing slot I20 over pin II4, thus locking element -IIO and lever 80 and preventing shifting of gears coop'erable therewith, the slot I22 having been raised out of its position locking pin I I6'.'-' This leaves the gears cooperable with element I I2 and lever 16 free to be shifted. These gears, in this case, are the reverse and first gears. I

11 the operator wishes to engage reverse gear, he now pushes handle 20 which rotates shaft 22 and lever 24 in a counter-clockwise direction pulling linkage 30, thus rotating stamping 9| in the counter-clockwise direction around the axis of bolt 94 which is held in a fixed position as lever 80 is locked. Thus rotating stamping 9| rotates lever I8 in a clockwise direction around the axis of shaft I0 as stamping 9I and lever I8 are connected by rod 92; rotation of lever I8 thereby moves cooperable elements within transmission case I4 and the shifting operation is complete.

If the operator wishes to engage first gear, he

will pull handle 20 instead of pushing to engage I reverse, which will push linkage 30, thus rotat+ ing 'stamping 9I'in a clockwise direction around the axis of bolt 94 with the result that lever 18 6 through its connection 92 with stamping 9| will be rotated around the axis of shaft 10 in a counter-clockwise direction. Y

The interlock mechanism H8 is constructed so as to make impossible inadvertent shifting directlyinto reverse gear from engagement of first (low) gear. Surfaces I28 and I30 of interlock mechanism are not concentric in regard to the arc of travel of pin II6; surface I30 is lower than surface I28. Surface I28 is held against the upper surface of pin II6 by spring 88 when low gear is in engagement. This upper surface of pin I I6 traces the outer extremity of the arc of pin II6 as it is moved. As pin II6 leaves engagement with surface I28 upon clockwise rotation toward engagement of reverse gear by the operator, it will enter the lower portion of slot I22 and if rotated further, it will strike the edge I22a of slot I22, thus preventing engagement of reverse gear.

If the operator wishes to engage reverse gear, he must raise handle 20, Figure 1, higher than necessary to engage low gear, thus pulling cable 28 further and increasing rotation of interlock mechanism H8 in a counter-clockwise direction. The said interlock mechanism must be rotated enough to allow pin II6 to engage surface I30.

The use of this interlock mechanism prevents inadvertent clashing of reverse gear as the operator shifts from low gear. Unless the handle 20 is raised manually, as described above, when pin II6 strikes the edge I22a, tension spring 88 will tend to pull slot I22 over pin II6 locking'it and unlocking pin I I4. This will permit engagement of second or high gears, which is the usual procedure when shifting from low gear.

When low gear is in'engagement, handle 20 may be lowered to'the position it assumes when high gear is engaged. This is possible because surface I28 is held in firm engagement with pin II6 by spring 88 actuating lever 34, and thus there is no momentary function for cable 28 which is actuated by handle 20.

- If the operator wishes to engage second gear from this engagement of first gear, he merely pushes handle 20 (in the lower high-gear position) as if he actually were shifting from high gear to second gear. tion in the operation, pin II6 will strike edge I22a, preventing engagement of reverse gear and spring 88 will pull slot I22 over pin H6, locking said pin. This latter automatic operation is possible as cable 28 was slackened by lowering handle 20 to its high-gear-engagement position when low gear was actually in engagement.

The operator may wish to shift from first gear to high gear. In this case, handle 20 may also be lowered to high position when low gear is still engaged but must be pushed to neutral position to remove pin II6 from engagement with surface I28-and align pin III} with slot I22 to allow spring 88 to slide slot I22 over pin IIE, locking the low and reverse gears. The handle is then moved from this lower neutral position back to normal high-gear-engagement position, engaging the desired high gear.

In shifting from reverse gear engagement, this invention operates in the same manner: If reverse gear is-engaged, the handle 20 may be lowered to its normal second-gear-engagement position, from which position the other three gears (low, second and high) may be engaged in the reverse of themanner described above in connection with the low' gear engagement;

On reaching neutral posi-- 7 elf the ,operatorwishes tol'engage second gear, he will push handle 2c in its lowered position as he did to engage reverse gearwhensaid handle was in its raised position. The power thus exerted will be transmitted to stamping 9| by linkage As lever it is now locked, stamping ill cannot rotate around the axis of bolt94 but must rotate around the axis of the portion of the U-shaped rod 82 which extends through aperture m2. As lever 89 is now unlocked, it will be rotated by this pulling force around the axis of rotation of shaft 12 in a clockwise direction in conjunction with the movement of stamping s1, thus moving shiftable elements within the transmission case H, To engage third gear, the operator will pull handle 293 and will thus rotate stamping ill and lever 8E] around the same axes but in the counter clockwise direction.

While I have described my invention in some detail, I intend this description to be an eX- ample only and not limiting on my invention, to which I make the following claims:

1. A shifting mechanism comprising a hand lever, a transmission, gear trains within said transmission having shiftable elements, shifting means for said elements carried on shafts extending to the outside of said transmission, levers secured on the extending portions of said shafts, movable means directly interconnecting said levers, said levers being moved by the hand lever through. a linkage between said hand lever and said movable means, a rocking interlock controlling the shiftable elements of the transmission, said interlock being secured internally of the transmission on a shaft extending through the side of said transmission, an interlock lever secured to the external portion of said interlock-carrying shaft actuating the interlock, a single linkage between said lever and the hand lever, and a tension spring providing rotating force on said interlock lever.

2. A shifting mechanism comprising a hand lever, a transmission, gear trains within said transmission and having shiftable elements,

shifting means for said elements carried on shafts extending to the outside of said transmission, levers secured to the outer portions of said shafts, linkage between said levers, said levers being connected through a single linkage with the hand lever, a rocking interlock controlling the shiftable elements, said interlock located within the transmission on an interlock shaft extending through the side of said transmission, an interlock lever secured to the external portion of said interlock-carrying shaft, a single linkage between said lever and the hand lever, and a tension spring exerting opposite rotating forces on said interlock lever.

3. A transmission unit having shiftable elements, shafts for controlling the elements, said shafts being rotatable about substantially parallel axes, means rotatable with the shafts, a pin carried by each of said means and movable therewith, and a pivoted bar having recesses to receive the pins, said bar being so pivoted that when one pin is capable of being moved away from its companion recess the other pin is locked in the other recess, thereby providing an interlock for the shiftable elements, said recesses being formed between straight cam surfaces on the bar, said surfaces abutting the pins as they are rotated.

4. A transmission unit having shiftable elements, an interlock mechanism alternately locking-zsaidgshiftable elements, shafts for controlling-said elements, and extending to the outside of the transmission, levers on the outside ends of said shafts to flrotate the shafts, means secured to the levers andmonnected to eachother form; ingta linkage between the-levers, and manually operated means rotatably secured intermediate the ends. of one; of the meanssecured to the leversfor moving said linkage and said levers.

:5. A transmission interlock device comprising ancinterloclo; plate connected to a shaft, a pluralityof gear shifting means each comprising a rockshaftoperable to select oneof a plurality of transmission speeds, locking recesses formed in saidplatmstraight cam surfaces leading from the sides of, the locking recesses in said plate, and follower. means carried by the rock shafts and engageabie withthe cam surfaces for rotating the plate about said shaft and for reception withinthe locking recesses when in neutral poe sition. 1 V

6. A transmission interlock comprising a pl rality of gear shifting means each comprising a rock shaft operable to selectone of a plurality of transmission speeds, an interlock plate connected to a shaft, recesses formed in said plate, said plate having a plurality of straight cam surfaces leadingfrom thesides of the recesses in said plate, and;follower means carried by the rock shafts and engageable with the cam surfaces for reception within the locking recesses, one or more of the surfaces extending beyond the end of the other surface of its recess to its joinder with a cam surface, thus necessitating further rotation. of 'the'plate to permit engage: ment of said cam surface by the follower means.

'7. A shifting mechanism comprising asteering column, a transmission unit having a pluralityof shifting means, a hand lever, a shifting rod j-ournaled through a bracket on said steering column andhaving said hand lever mounted on its upper portion, a shifting lever secured to the shifting rod and rotatable therewith, a limit mechanism secured to the steering column and through which the shifting rod is journaled, the shifting lever being directly above said limit mechanism preventing-the shifting rod moving longitudinally through said limit mechanism beyond a predetermined point, a cable secured at its one end to the end of the shiftingrodand having :its, other end secured to the shifting means, and a single link connecting the shifting lever tothe shifting means of the transmission.

SQA transmission unit comprising shiftable elements, acase for said unit, shafts which extend through said case for controlling said elements, means rotatable with the shafts, an interlock alternately locking said rotatable means,

levers. secured to said shafts for transmitting motion thereto, means rotatably secured to the free, ends of the levers and joined at their free ends forming a flexible link between the said levers, and a connection with a manually controlled link intermediate the ends of one of said means.

9. A transmission unit comprising a plurality of shiftable elements, means extending from said transmission cooperable with said shiftable elements, an interlock mechanism alternately lockingsaid elements, a lever carried by each of the, means extending from the transmission to transmit externally'applied energy to the shiftable elements, and a linkage between said levers for: cooperable movement thereof come prisingg two units: connected at two ends with the remaining free ends connected to the free ends of the levers.

10. A limit mechanism for a shifting rod which is positioned parallel to the steering column of a vehicle comprising a bracket secured to said steering column with an aperture through which said rod extends, a resilient washer around said rod having a downwardly turned flange which is seated on the upper surface of the bracket, and a sleeve rigidly secured around the shifting rod having an outwardly and downwardly turned flange which abuts the said resilient washer.

11. A shifting mechanism comprising a transmission unit having a plurality of shiftable elements, a hand lever remote from said transmission unit, a shifting rod secured to and movable by said hand lever, a shifting lever on said rod rotatable by said rod, means for reciprocating the shiftable elements, a flexible connection be tween said means for shifting of either separately, and a single link connected between the shifting lever and said connection.

NILS ERIK WAI-ILBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

